Yearly Archive for 2013

: 2013

UPDATE: Earlier today, Texas Politics reported that Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, had some strong words for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s reluctance to acknowledge he hoped to ban all abortions in Texas. Patrick, of course, is challenging Dewhurst in 2014, hoping to win the lieutenant governor’s office. This afternoon, Kyleen Wright, president of the Texans for …

A Senate panel Thursday passed a package of controversial abortions restrictions that have sparked protests at the Capitol and placed Texas in the national spotlight. With a 6-3 party line vote, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee gave the OK to House Bill 2. The panel did not hear public testimony. Debate in the …

Texas senators Thursday morning quickly sent a plan to direct about $1 billion to fix Texas highways, but officials are expecting a slower and more contested conversation in the House. The transportation funding plan, SJR 1, drafted by Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, takes half of the money currently going to the state’s rainy day fund […] …

Attorney General Greg Abbott’s campaign said Wednesday he has raised nearly another $5 million for what’s expected to be a race for governor. Abbott in January reported having an $18 million campaign war chest. He disclosed the $4.785 million — raised during the two-week window before the June 30 end of the last reporting period …

UPDATE: Travis County Sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade says all five protestors were released by 4:30 p.m.– more than five hours after the arrests — and no charges were filed “because of insufficient probable cause.” Original Story: Department of Public Safety Troopers arrested five abortion rights activists who shouted and caused a temporary stir in the …

Kerville Republican Harvey Hilderbran, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Wednesday he will not seek re-election (full audio of his House speech below). But Hilderbran stopped short of officially announcing a run for comptroller, which is what political observers are waiting for and exactly what he’s expected to declare later this summer. …

House Republicans Wednesday muscled through a sweeping package of abortion restrictions — shifting the spotlight back on the Senate, where the controversial proposal failed to pass last month after a marathon filibuster by Democrats. Final approval of House Bill 2 came Wednesday via a 96-49 vote in the lower chamber. That wraps up a nasty …

Annie’s List announced it has contributed $50,000 to the campaign of Sen. Wendy Davis, who hit the national spotlight and heated up the state’s debate over abortion regulations with an 11-hour filibuster. A spokesperson with the senator’s office was not immediately available to discuss if this is the largest donation Davis has received, or how […] …

The political battle raging at the state Capitol over abortion continued to escalate Tuesday as House Republicans tentatively passed one of the nation’s most stringent packages of restrictions on the procedure and doctors who perform it. The House voted 98-49 to give the initial OK to House Bill 2, a controversial proposal that would ban …

Although a spokesman said the Alamo is “neutral in politics and politicians” as a historical site, its battle cry was invoked this week by Texans who oppose abortion legislation. “A foregone conclusion has never stopped a group of citizens committed to ideals of democracy and liberty from taking a stand and fighting with everything they’ve …